SHS019: How To Maximize Customer Retention In A Business With Irina Poddubnaia From Trackmage

SHS019_How_To_Maximize_Customer_Retention_In_A_Business_With

56:45

Intro

Customer retention is one of the most overlooked aspects of building a successful business.

While many entrepreneurs focus heavily on acquiring new customers, fewer understand how much more valuable it is to keep the customers they already have.

In this episode of The Side Hustler’s Society, Elijah Bilel dives into the importance of customer retention, lifetime value, and building systems that maximize revenue from existing customers.

This conversation highlights why long-term growth isn’t just about getting more customers—but getting more value from each one.

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Intro to Irina Poddubnaia

SaaS founder and business consultant specializing in operations and process optimization
Over 8 years of experience in e-commerce across multiple business models
Ran a fulfillment center in China for over two years
Founder of TrackMage, a software platform designed to improve post-purchase customer experience
Helps e-commerce businesses increase sales through automation, upsells, and customer follow-ups

👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irina-poddubnaia/

Episode Overview

This episode explores:

What customer retention actually means
Why lifetime value (LTV) is critical for business growth
How automation and systems improve retention
The difference between short-term sales vs long-term strategy

Irina shares real-world experience from both running operations and building SaaS tools designed specifically to increase customer retention.

Listen to the Episode

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Quick Takeaways

Elijah Bilel breaks down customer retention strategies
Irina Poddubnaia explains how LTV drives long-term growth
Retaining customers is often more profitable than acquiring new ones
Automation can increase revenue without increasing workload
Post-purchase experience is a major opportunity for upsells
Surveys don’t always reflect real buying behavior
Testing demand with real purchase intent is more effective
Building an audience first makes selling easier
Systems and processes are key to scaling

What Is Customer Lifetime Value (LTV)?

Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) represents:

👉 The total amount a customer is expected to spend with your business over time

Elijah Bilel explains that many businesses fail to maximize this by:

Only selling once
Not offering additional products or services
Ignoring existing customers

Why Customer Retention Matters

Irina Poddubnaia highlights that:

A returning customer is significantly more likely to buy again
Repeat purchases increase profitability without additional acquisition costs
Retention is the foundation of long-term business growth

The Problem Most Businesses Have

Many entrepreneurs:

Focus only on getting new customers
Ignore existing customers
Leave money on the table

This creates:

❌ Lower revenue per customer
❌ Higher marketing costs
❌ Slower business growth

The Power of Post-Purchase Experience

Irina built her software, TrackMage, around one key idea:

👉 What happens after the sale matters just as much as the sale itself

Her system helps businesses:

Track orders
Send follow-ups
Request reviews
Upsell additional products

All automatically

Why Automation Changes Everything

Before SaaS tools:

Businesses relied on spreadsheets
Communication was manual
Processes were inefficient

Now:

Systems handle follow-ups
Upsells happen automatically
Customer experience improves

This allows business owners to focus on growth instead of operations.

Customer Retention vs Customer Acquisition

A major takeaway from this episode:

👉 It’s easier to sell to an existing customer than a new one

Irina explains that:

First-time buyers are harder to convert
Repeat customers already trust you
Each additional purchase increases overall LTV

Do Surveys Actually Work?

Irina challenges a common strategy:

👉 Surveys don’t always reflect real buying behavior

People may say:

“Yes, I’d buy this product”

But:

👉 That doesn’t mean they actually will

A Better Way to Test Demand

Instead of surveys, Irina suggests:

Create a sales page
Let people attempt to purchase
Measure real intent

If people try to buy:

👉 You have demand

This method is far more accurate than opinions alone.

Build the Audience First

One of the most important insights:

👉 Start with the audience, not the product

Elijah Bilel reinforces that:

Audience = built-in customers
You can gather feedback directly
You reduce the risk of failure

Real-World Business Insight

Irina Poddubnaia’s experience includes:

Running fulfillment operations in China
Building internal systems from scratch
Turning those systems into SaaS products

This gives her a unique perspective on:

👉 Both operations AND scalability

Key Lessons from the Episode

1. Retention > Acquisition (Long-Term)

Focus on maximizing value from each customer.

2. Automate What You Can

Systems allow you to scale without burning out.

3. Test Demand with Real Behavior

Don’t rely on opinions—track actions.

4. Build an Audience First

Selling becomes easier when trust already exists.

Who This Episode Is For

E-commerce business owners
SaaS founders
Side hustlers building online businesses
Entrepreneurs looking to increase revenue without more traffic

Key Topics Covered

Customer retention strategies
Insights from Irina Poddubnaia
Business strategies from Elijah Bilel
Lifetime value (LTV)
Automation and scaling

Watch The Podcast On Youtube!